


Kingdom Hearts 3 (Rewrite)

by thekingoforzammar



Series: Kingdom Hearts 3 [1]
Category: Disney - All Media Types, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Drama, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-11-09 00:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17991353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekingoforzammar/pseuds/thekingoforzammar
Summary: In the distant past, Xehanort and Eraqus play a game of chess, while in the present Sora prepares to start his new journey and stand against the newest incarnation of the Organization. Master Xehanort has planned things out in every way so as to forge the X-blade and bring about a new Keyblade War, all to gain the power of Kingdom Hearts.





	1. The Beginning of a New Journey

**Author's Note:**

> So I was disappointed with KH3 and how it handled a lot of its plot. It had its high points, but far too many low points, and so I'm working on a rewrite. This first chapter is initially a retread of the beginning, with very few new elements thrown in, but next chapter is when things will start to diverge into what I wish we had gotten.
> 
> I don't claim to be a great writer. But I will try my best and urge you to give me your honest critique. What were my weak moments? What are my strengths as a writer? Any tips you have?

**Several Decades Earlier**

“Have you heard of the ancient Keyblade War?”

Xehanort’s calm question came out of nowhere as he moved another piece across the board, taking one of Eraqus. The seagulls could be heard crying out past the window, the bells of the carts tolling. The sun shone down on this beautiful land that rested well between the precarious balance of light and dark. Those sparkling waters had a myriad of life within them while every stretch of mountainous land that rose forth from the sea had a beautiful castle town all its own, built from the purest white marble. 

Every single one was tethered together, yet every single one was an individual city-state all on its own, with its own rules and laws and politics, as the Keyblade wielders dwelt within. It was a charming place that reminded Xehanort of his home on the shores of the Destiny Islands, yet was altogether different to those now distant shores. He could not help but admire its beauty yet feel chained within these walls. One world or another, to stay for too long was to be imprisoned.

“Yeah, of course!” came Eraqus’ jolly reply. The dark-haired youth was busy contemplating his next move. “It’s the Master’s favorite story. Long ago, ancient Keyblade wielders from all over fought for ownership of the light, right?”

Eraqus moved his bishop across the board, easily knocking the pawn out of play. He had been Xehanort’s companion through these last few years, training to be a Keyblade Master as well. His easy smile could allay the fears in anyone, and his noted descent from a distinguished line of Keyblade wielders did not make his resolve any less prominent.

“Exactly. I have to wonder what they planned on doing with Kingdom Hearts... when it appeared…”

Xehanort moved his knight back across the board to a safer location. _Let’s see just how much he knows. How much he gives away._

“Who knows? I don’t get why anyone would start a war.”

_Ah, Eraqus, cagey as ever. But you can’t fool me._

“So… you know of the Lost Masters?” Xehanort asked teasingly. He was beginning to enjoy this little match more and more. It wasn’t just a game of chess, but a game of wits now.

“Who?”

Eraqus’ retort did nothing to dissuade Xehanort, even as he moved his queen against the silver-haired student’s own bishop.  
“They’re the ones who started the Keyblade War…”

Eraqus merely shrugged as he watched Xehanort move his king on to one of the raised platforms. “Never heard of them. Where’d you hear that?”

Xehanort rolled his eyes, though he doubted his friend noticed, and continued on ignoring the question. His queen now removed a knight from play. “Or perhaps… they’re the ones for whom the war started.” 

It was one of the few interpretations that Xehanort had rolled around in his head. Every day and every night, he would study the Keyblade War and all of the teachings surrounding it, scarce as they were. Studiously he took his own notes on the subject, reading every book in the castle libraries. Most were nothing but theories and hypotheses, collected rumors and gossipped whispers. Yen Sid, their other friend who studied the Keyblade alongside him, couldn’t help but commend his determination in unraveling the secrets.

Even though those secrets were banned. There were only so many things they were meant to know, and their Master had been adamant that they not delve too deeply. Yet Xehanort could not help but unravel at the threads of his own curiosity. The tale called to him in his sleep, hounded him in his waking days. There were answers there, and he reached out to grasp them, yet they eluded him every step of the way. But those answers were vital. A Keyblade Master should not shun away from knowledge.

Not if his duty was to protect the order of the worlds.

“You’re not making any sense.”

With a chuckle, Xehanort broke away from the chess board and looked directly into his brother’s eyes. 

“You can drop the facade.”

Eraqus’ puzzled look told Xehanort he needed to spell it out.

“‘On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire.’ That is the old prophecy. You would think a prospective Keyblade Master such as yourself would know these things.”

“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

“The look on your face says otherwise.”

Exasperated, Eraqus crossed his arms over his chest and began to sulk. “Man… you just couldn’t let me have that one, could you?”

“What’s the fun in letting you win?”

“Gee… I don’t know… just to be a nice friend?” He said, giving his brother-in-arms an amused grin. 

“If you wanted a nice friend… you should have gotten a dog.” to which Xehanort returned the grin.

“Maybe I’ll go out and get one. Anything can change. Even a prophecy like that.”

“Pretty confident. But things aren’t in your favor. The future’s already been written.”

Their eyes darted up to the fireplace mantle, where an elegant gold relief stood depicting various Keyblades with their teeth outstretched in every direction. In the center, hung in place and gather dust, was an obsidian black Keyblade. The edges all along it were jagged, just above the hilt of the great weapon was an image shaped like a lion's head with goat horns, while the pommel and guard brought to mind the wings of a great demonic entity.

But by far the most eye-catching element was the great blue eye that sat in the center of the top of the blade. There were times where Xehanort could swear it moved along as it watched everything.

Eraqus shuddered before looking away. He had never been a fan of that Keyblade, saying it gave him the creeps. But Xehanort found there to be an indescribable aura surrounding the weapon. To see something so ancient and powerful left to sit like some trophy, collecting dust until the end of time and space, seemed wrong.

“Maybe so… but unlike darkness there’s more to light then meets the eye. You might be surprised.”

As Eraqus moved his king onto the raised platform in front of Xehanort’s, the silver-haired youth calmly looked back into his friend’s grey eyes.

“Oh… I hope so.”

_Now the game truly begins._

 

\-----------------------------

 

**Present Day**

 

Master Yen Sid’s stern and unyielding gaze washed over his latest prospective student. Sora, the boy who had twice over saved the universe, stood readily at attention. With boundless enthusiasm, he was ready to venture forth once more into the great unknown, hurdled into danger. By his side stood, equally at attention, the fearless court wizard and compassionate captain of the guard to Yen Sid’s former apprentice Mickey.

“The time is now upon us.” Yen Sid began. Their focus never wavered as he spoke. “In order to defeat Xehanort, there are allies we must gather, acting now to rouse them from their slumber. But we have discussed this before. Your Mark of Mastery exam was conducted in the hopes that you would acquire the power to wake them.”

“Yeah, but I blew it. I almost fell to the darkness.” Sora admitted, darting his eyes off to a corner of the room.

“Indeed… and your grasp of your new abilities leaves much to be desired.”

The words pulled Sora’s attention back momentarily, if only for the harsh and bitter reality concealed within. Dejected, Sora hung his head. Goofy and Donald broke their own rigid posture in an effort to help their friend, but Sora didn’t react. The sight of this young boy, so easily hurt by his own failures, moved Yen Sid. 

He had been through so much, and his inner strength cast a light over the darkness, but it was evident enough to see that at times those same shadows grew ever stronger because of it. And now, he was being tasked with another mission that would no doubt take an even harder toll on him.

“Nearly made a vessel by Xehanort, what powers you did accrue were stripped from you. But I suspect you have already noticed this.”

Sora’s empty gaze lingered on the floor, with no response.

“No matter.” Yen Sid said, waving his hand. “For now, you must act to regain that strength. The power of waking that you gained by returning to the Realm of Sleep is not something to be used without needed strength. But do not lose hope so soon. There is someone who lost his strength and found it again… a true hero whom you ought to pay a visit to.”

With those last few words, Sora’s expression turned back into joy. The thought of venturing to see his friend Hercules made him attempt to flex his nonexistent muscles. Were it not for the disciplined outlook he had been expected to project, Yen Sid might have just laughed aloud at his shenanigans.

“I understand, Master Yen Sid. Though…” Sora’s voice trailed off hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“The power of waking… don’t you have it? Couldn’t you learn it?”

“Sora! Don’t question the master!” Donald admonished, his feathered arms flapping wildly as he jumped up and down. 

“It is alright, Donald. It is a fair question to ask. To you, Sora, I say this: I have long since relinquished my right to the Keyblade. To gain the necessary abilities... I suspect would take far more time then we have to work with.”

Sora seemed satisfied by that answer, and once more seemed eager to depart. Donald and Goofy, stepping forward, professed their vow to watch over and protect the young Keyblade. 

“Don’t forget Sora, we’ll keep an eye on you!” 

“Gawrsh, we’re sure to have lots of fun!” Goofy said with a laugh.

“It’s not a vacation!” Sora quipped, shaking his head.

That Sora seemed the most embarrassed by them was no doubt an ironic twist for the trio, but as they had nothing further tying them to the tower, they hurried out the door and down the stairs. 

Yen Sid was now in his chamber, alone with his thoughts.

_Xehanort, my friend… what has become of the boy Eraqus and I both knew?_

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

Kairi’s grip tightened on her Keyblade as she took her stance within the clearing. She had been training for what seemed like years, and perhaps it was. While Sora and Riku engaged in their Mark of Mastery exam, traversing the sleeping worlds, the wizard Merlin and the three good fairies moved her and Lea -- or was he Axel still? -- to someplace they said “was not bound by the rules of time as strictly as the other worlds”.

She hadn’t been comfortable with her training partner at first. Her only interactions with him before they began training were when he had kidnapped her. They had been hopping around different worlds, passing through different corridors of darkness, and all in the name of avoiding those who were pursuing him. All the while he tried to converse with her, but she found him creepy and unsettling.

Even so… she couldn’t hate him. She didn’t care for him then, but she just couldn’t bring herself to hate him at that time. For all his malicious actions then, she sensed in him an earnest desire to just be happy. And she could at least understand where he was coming from. Merlin said it was because hate was tied to the power of darkness, and her being a princess of heart meant that she had no darkness to speak of. She could get angry, but to truly hate someone was beyond her.

She didn’t quite care for it. She had never asked for that sort of power, or the responsibilities that it came with. She had never asked to be thrown headlong into a journey that took her away from the islands. 

Not like this anyway.

But she didn’t care for staying on the islands while her friends’ lives were in danger either. And now, even if it meant being in danger, she would fight just as hard as her other friends. And he was the same way, she suspected. He had put his life on the line to free her from the Organization’s clutches, even if he had been the reason for her capture by them.

“You ready?” came her opponent’s cocky voice. In the warmth of the midday sun, his Keyblade blazed like an inferno. 

Drawn out of her own mind, she nodded and ran towards him. Her attacks were swift, the Keyblade’s weight no longer a problem in her hands. Axel effortlessly blocked her attacks as she tried to go for his hip, then sweep his legs, and even his face.

And although she couldn’t land a solid hit, she was pushing him back.

Blow by blow, she didn’t let up. She pushed through the pain, the sweat, the exhaustion… and she saw him smirk. As her own assault began to slow down, he jumped back and called forth a slew of fireballs from the sky.

Kairi looked up in fear and then, within moments, raised a reflective barrier all around her, formed from the purest light. She didn’t know how she was doing it, but as each blast of flame hit her it was promptly sent off in other directions. 

All around the clearing smoke arose from the numerous charred spots left in its wake. When the smoke finally cleared, Kairi dropped her shield and fell backwards, breathing heavily.

“Still can’t get it under control, huh?”

Kairi shook her head. “I don’t know what causes it. Merlin says it’s perhaps tied to me being a Princess…”

Kairi closed her eyes as a forlorn expression crossed her face. She needed to be better. There was so much riding on this. Riku was out in the Realm of Darkness while Sora was traveling the cosmos… and here she was stuck in the same place, doing the same things, and failing constantly. They were risking their lives to save all of the other people… and she would too.

Namine.

Roxas.

And, in the back of her mind, Kairi saw an image of a woman as resplendent as the dawn, whose features she could not make out. But the woman had a warm presence and a soothing voice backed with an iron will and determination.

“Hey, you’ll get the hang of it.” Axel said, lowering his hand down to lift her up. “Think I was throwing fire around so well my first day as a Nobody? The answer’s no. I ended up burning my clothes more often than I can count!”

Kairi reached up and grabbed his hand, laughing. “Thanks Axel… you’re sweet.”

“Call me Lea.” he said, pulling her up. “Why don’t we take a break and get some ice cream?”


	2. A Plea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and company land on what they're reasonably sure is Olympus, but are surprised that nothing looks the same as before.

_This doesn’t seem right._

Sora looked around at where the Gummi ship’s transporter had dropped them off, puzzled. In their previous visits they had always found themselves at the gates to the Coliseum. Before those grand doors, all contenders were equal and had the same opportunities to rise to glory in the eyes of both the people and the gods. The imposing statues of two men, armed and armored, was an imposing sight but spoke to the valor and fortitude necessary to triumph -- and even more importantly impressed Sora upon his first visits.

All he saw here, all around him, were rocks. Rocks and a mountain teeming with life. Birds fluttered about, chirping as they flew around to eat the bugs. Deer could be seen grazing below, while up above eagles filled the skies. And that was only a small portion of what he could see and hear. Sora could scarcely believe how rich and vibrant this lone mountain was. Were he not so preoccupied with figuring out what was going on, he would love to spend some time here in peace.

But as it was, he turned to Donald and Goofy, who were equally confused at their surroundings.

“No fanfare?” Sora asked. He rose his arms to imitate the sound of a trumpet blare -- the first sign of welcome they had come to expect in this world.

As Donald listened, all he heard were the same sounds of wildlife, while Goofy scanned the horizon.

“Looks like we missed the Coliseum!”

“Sora!” Donald chided. The Keyblade wielder merely smiled and shrugged it off. 

“Hey, don’t look at me! Don’t worry guys, I’m sure we’ll find him. But we can’t stay here!”

As Sora began walking opposite his friends, the court wizard seemed more confused than ever.

“Up the mountain?”

“Yeah… up is the usual direction.” Sora said sarcastically.

“Well… never hurts to have your head in the clouds.” Goofy replied. He was more than willing to go with the group wherever their journey took them. 

As Sora affirmed the sentiment, the trio set off past the cavern nook they had landed in. Within moments they found a trail, buried amongst all the vegetation. Dense trees sprang forth from the ground, offering a cool place to relax if the heat began to get to be too much. Judging by how it hadn’t been maintained, it seemed that people had not been using it for a long time.

Though why anyone would even need a trail for a mountain was another question altogether. Was there once a village on this mountain, like in Mulan’s world? If so, where were the people? Had it long since fallen to the Heartless, the Nobodies, or some other threat? Everywhere he looked he saw debris and remnants of marble pillars, strewn about like they were children’s toys.

It was a chilling thought that pushed back against the warmth of the midday sun upon Sora’s head. Setting it aside, he decided not to worry about things that he didn’t have any evidence for. All that mattered was finding Hercules.

As the trail wound off into a clearing in the middle of the mountain, Sora stopped dead in his tracks. Donald and Goofy, distracted by the environment, stumbled right into their friend.

“Sora! Don’t stop moving!”

“But Donald, look at… that.”

As Sora pointed up, they all took in a sight unlike any other. A massive statue of a man with a great beard sat down on a throne, carved from pure white marble. His eyes stared at the wall of the canyon, as if they saw right through it. Clad in a toga, his clothes were held up and fastened with a symbol that Sora couldn’t quite make out. All along the walls of the canyon were images and paintings telling rich stories of this land.

“Well I’ll be…” came Jiminy’s voice as he jumped up from inside Sora’s jacket.

“Who do you think it is?” Sora asked, walking towards the walls. He was eager to look at the paintings.

“Whoever he is, he must be really important.” Goofy answered.

The gang all split up into various directions, inspecting the area. They had never seen anything nearly as intricate as this. The statue easily made them feel like they were little more than ants. Everywhere they looked, they saw more and more signs of destruction. Pillars were toppled, statues had crumbled, the earth had crumbled and boulders fell within. The paintings, though still colorful, had faded considerably. 

What Sora could make out was an image of a city, with a name written in a corner underneath the leaves and vines. He summoned the Keyblade and cut away at the dense foliage to read it.

 _Thebes_.

Finding no real answers, Sora jumped and ran up the wall before him to investigate the massive statue. Even this close, he felt nervous before it. Something in his heart told him that this was no ordinary statue. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a bronze plaque that rested just before a small altar. It was full of all kinds of offerings -- an old helmet, a pile of coins, bones of what Sora hoped were some kind of animal. Carefully dusting off the plaque, Sora recited the inscription.

“Father Zeus, protector of the weak, help me to be strong against my fears.”

With no warning at all, the skies darkened and turned black. The earth began to quake beneath Sora’s feet, causing him to fall backwards. Thunder boomed and echoed all around the canyon, deafening all of the young boy’s attempts to call out to his friends. When the wind blew and enveloped the entire area in darkness, Sora rushed to his feet and jumped down to be near Donald and Goofy.

Brandishing their weapons, the trio readied themselves for battle.

“Is it the Heartless?” Goofy asked with trepidation.

“What did you do?!” came Donald’s alarmed response. 

“I didn’t do anything!”

As the thunder continued to echo, a bolt of lightning descended down from the heavens and struck the gargantuan statue. A gale force wind nearly toppled the trio as the sound of stone grinding could be heard, ever so faintly. Sora had to close his eyes against such a powerful force until the wind finally died down. When it did, the gang took in their surroundings. There were no Heartless to be seen anywhere.

But they weren’t alone.

“Well now… I was expecting to find Hercules. To find you three here instead…” came a mysterious voice that roared with authority. 

The trio followed the voice to its source and found that the statue was staring at them, stroking its stony beard ponderously.

“That… that statue’s alive.” 

“Gawrsh…” was all Goofy could muster the will to say.

As they stood there in silence, the giant statue stared down at them. The dark skies dissipated, bringing the sunlight back into the chasm. As the tension grew, the now living sculpture sighed and shook its head.

“Who are you?” Sora asked.

“Hmm…? You’re the one who read the prayer and you don’t know?” came its reply. It sounded genuinely curious rather than dismissive. “I am Zeus, King of the Gods and Hercules’ father.”

“No way! You can talk through a statue?! And you’re Hercules’ father?!”

Zeus laughed heartily as he took in Sora’s shock. Sora had always known Hercules was a demigod and the son of Zeus, but he had never come to expect something -- or even someone -- of quite this magnitude. 

“Indeed I am. And I know of you three: Sora, Donald, and Goofy. It was I who gathered the stars in your image. But I fear there is no time to converse. This world is in peril… even Olympus itself is threatened.

Their ears perked up at the notion of a realm where the gods ruled being in jeopardy. A danger so incredible in fact as to necessitate asking them for assistance. These were gods! Surely they should be able to handle anything that was thrown their way and make it look like they hadn’t broken a sweat. 

And yet, Sora beamed with excitement at the prospect. He could hardly contain it. This was what real heroes were capable of: taking on the worst threats possible and helping anyone, no matter how powerful they already were.

Before the trio could even confirm they would do as asked, Heartless swarmed around them. They were surrounded on all sides by Shadows, fluttering about within the darkness of the chasm. Stomping in from where Sora and his friends entered was a platoon of Large Bodies, each one swinging their bulky arms wildly. Their chains shattered rocks as they impacted. And dredging themselves up from the earth were a new type of Heartless that none of them had ever seen before.

Their faces were long and dark shadowy masses that trailed off into jagged stone spikes. They burrowed through the ground at an alarming pace, and one came up directly beneath the trio. With only seconds to spare, they all dove in separate directions. Sora rolled back into his fighting stance, swinging the Keyblade into the face of one of these rocky horrors.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the great statue of Zeus was immobilized, tendrils of darkness keeping it chained down to the throne. The great King of the Gods, shocked and in fear for the trio, could only watch helplessly. 

A red orb of energy flew past Sora’s face and he could feel the intense heat sizzling off of it, beads of sweat dripping down. The fireball from Donald’s wand exploded against the face of one of the fatter Heartless, enveloping it in flames until it was naught but ashes. Small wisps of ember fluttered about, and Sora felt a strange and uncomfortable sensation on his arm. Then it grew stronger, with a searing pain, before he looked down and realized his arm was on fire.

“Hot hot hot!!!” Sora shouted. His free arm was swatting away at it, trying to put out the flames. When it began to spread he took the blade of the Keyblade and let it glide down his arm. Immediately a cooling wave washed over his arm, dousing the fire. “Donald, watch it next time!”

“Sorry Sora!” shouted the wizard as he used the head of his staff to knock a Shadow aside.

Sora could see that these new earthen monstrosities were surrounding Goofy, backing him into a corner. Diving and rolling over towards them, he summoned another torrent of water to knock two of them aside. The water had the added bonus of turning their bodies to mud. Their every move was laden with the weight of their bulk. Seeing the opportunity before him, Goofy used his shield to charge into them.

“A-hyuck, thanks Sora!”

As Goofy ran off, Sora looked at their surroundings. There were too many Heartless for them to win in a straight battle. Donald was now surrounded, firing spell after spell, and soon he would be too exhausted to fight back. All that he could see was the mountainous terrain around them, surrounding them.

Trapping them.

Worse still, several of the Earth Cores turned to sand and migrated to the center of the field. As their mass twisted and turned, a great snake made from the grains they were rose and let out a shrill cry. Startled, a jagged piece of rock broke free from beneath Sora’s feet and he barely rolled away in time. Whatever this new creature was, it evidently held greater sway over the Heartless.

Goofy threw his shield at the sand monster in an arc, but it sailed straight through. Physical attacks would do nothing against it. Donald was backed into a corner.

But that gave Sora an idea. 

He drew from the energy that resided within him, focusing it until it felt like his whole body was under enormous pressure. His eyes closed, he ignored the pain in his chest as he moved the swelling magic into his arm, and through his arm into the Keyblade. Aiming at the side of the mountain above the largest congregation of Heartless, a torrent of water burst forth from the teeth of the Keyblade.

It soared high into the air, floating in the middle of the battlefield, and Sora forced more of his energy into it. As the watery orb stretched and bloated, the light shining through upon all. When it took up half the length of the chasm’s edge, he hurled it at the rock face. The impact shattered the wall. Boulders descended with fury and chaos. Some of them crushed the more rotund Heartless, their legs all that was left to be seen before their forms faded away into darkness. Donald and Goofy barely avoided being crushed themselves. Their dodging made Sora wince. But more important than the debris was what it did to the earth. Fresh dirt turned to mud, and slid down atop all the Heartless, ensnaring them.

“Sora, be careful!” Donald reprimanded. Within moments Donald sent a streak of fire across the muddied field, hardening it. 

“Sorry! But hey, now we’re even for the fire!”

All that was left was for the gang to destroy the trapped Heartless. Now that they were immobilized, it only took them moments.

But they were not done just yet. The great sand monster was now standing firm and strong. Its beady golden eyes, shaped like swirls, took in the sight that it was alone, yet it didn’t care. Heartless didn’t feel fear or concern for their comrades. The water had only made it stronger, as the sand no longer shifted in the breeze. 

The beast reared its head back and began to summon something from its base. Its entire body became engorged as it mustered its strength. Craning its head to the sky, it opened its jagged maw and expelled out dozens of boulders. The trio narrowly avoided being crushed, but now their only passage out was blocked off.

The beast lowered its neck and opened its jaw, intending to crush the life from its foes. With no room to escape, Goofy put himself between his friends and the sand demon, against the objections of Sora and Donald. 

“I’m not gonna let you hurt my friends!” he shouted, shield raised, as it clamped down upon the cold metal. Goofy kept his shield tightly grasped as the beast pulled back, flinging him about like a ragdoll.

“Goofy!” the grounded pair shouted.

It was too late.

It threw him high into the air, a chunk of its solid form breaking off with the knight, and Goofy’s screams echoed throughout the canyon as he came careening down, face first and arms extended, with his shield before him into the creature’s gullet.

“No…” Sora muttered under his breath, falling to his knees.

“Sora, get up!” Donald called out. 

It was no use though. He didn’t hear a word. What he saw couldn't have happened. They had been through so many journeys together already. Goofy couldn't have been gone... not now in the beginning of their latest journey. It wasn't right! That's not how it was supposed to go. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice how Donald stepped forward, prepared to save his friend from being the next meal.

Suddenly, it seemed to shift its body in the most unnatural of ways. Almost as if it were in pain. Its body slumped forward, groaning and whimpering, before all that made it up dissolved into the shadows.

All that lay where it once stood was a beleaguered, but smiling, captain of the royal guard.

“Gawrsh, I guess I didn’t agree with him.”

Exhausted and relieved, Sora fell backwards onto the ground and laughed. He had forgotten how demanding magic could be and he had used up too much energy to trap them. Lessons from Merlin and Yen Sid flashed in his mind, that magic was a dangerous tool not to be used lightly. It held great power, but that power must be tempered with discipline.

Catching his breath, he saw the great statue of Zeus still frozen solid by the powers of darkness. He raised his Keyblade and aimed it at the god’s chest. A dazzling ray of pure light shone forth and struck dead center, dispelling the dark pall that was cast over him. As Zeus stretched to break the stiffness in his stone joints, he cast his gaze on the beleaguered trio.

“Ah that’s much better! Foul magic that only Hades would be capable of and I am glad to be rid of it.”

Sora, now feeling able to stand again, dusted himself off and walked forward.

“How can we help?” he said before Zeus.

“Find my son Hercules. Olympus is under attack by Hades. I do not know how he’s done it, but he has summoned some of the strongest warriors and monsters to fight by his side. And I fear that this is only a prelude to whatever schemes he’s conjured in that twisted little head of his.”

As Zeus settled back into the throne, the stone groaned beneath his weight as it seemed whatever magic allowed him to speak was now dissipating. 

“Wait! Where should we look?”

The stone giant moved his head back to gazing into the distance. “Thebes.” was his last word and it was said with enough vigor that a gust of wind lifted the heroes up and sent them flying over the horizon.

The last thing Sora saw was one last bolt of lightning striking and removing all trace of life from the goliath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *It might not be apparent, but Goofy turned that into the Goofy Bombardier when he was tossed into the air. He saw that he managed to break it when it threw him so he figured he could do the same from inside. Consider this the level up bonus of this chapter.
> 
> *Zeus and the other gods were wasted in KH3, especially when I saw that giant statue of him. I was firmly expecting it to speak at least ONCE in the level.
> 
> *I hate writing fight scenes. I feel I'm awful at them.


	3. Thebes Under Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sora and his friends find their way to Thebes, Hades begins to set in motion his plot to take over Olympus by bringing in assistance with an equally dangerous foe.

“My word, I have to say that I’m impressed.” 

Hades cast a glance at the figure poised on the opposite side of the room, clad in a silver-lined cloak that kept her face hidden in shadow. The chamber’s gloom could be felt within the air as the souls of the Underworld swam together far below in the rivers of the Underworld. The dirge of their wails were faintly audible even at this great height.

Hades stepped down from his throne and moved towards the table. An intricate map of all of Greece decorated its surface, with numerous miniature statues dotted all across the landscape. Casually, he moved figures that represented the Heartless to surround Thebes. Olympus stood across the way, swarmed on all sides, and it was only a matter of time until it fell. That thunderous blowhard and his muscle-headed dolt of a child wouldn’t be able to stand in his way any longer.

This dark, dour, and dismally decrepit domain Hades was tasked to watch over had long since run its course. In the wake of the Titanomachy, Zeus ‘bestowed’ it on him as a gift, for everything he’d done in the war. For everything they did against their forebears. He slaved away to keep this realm functional, all while Zeus and the others lounged about in the clouds. But that would soon change.

“Please… freezing that oversized lawn ornament was easy enough. But you gotta do more than that to get the same reaction from me.”

“Oh? Your doubt in my abilities wounds me.”

Hades snorted in disdain. “Listen, I’ve seen and heard it all. It will take more than just another stranger claiming they can do what I’ve spent eons striving to achieve.”

“My dear, you will find that the two of us can do many things together.”

Hades rolled his eyes. 

“Where have I heard this before?” 

“That fairy you associated with is nothing more than an insect. Her powers are insignificant compared to my own.”

Again, Hades rolled his eyes. Where did these people come from? Every single one thinking they were the hottest thing since the Olympics, but all Hades had ever seen was one asinine mistake after another. Maleficent had given him access to the Heartless, but even that hadn’t been enough, for she cared only for her own goals. She was competent, he would admit, but never a good ally. And her lackey Pete was more of a bumbling fool than Hades had even thought, unable to accomplish even the simplest of tasks.

Never mind when that freak in the black cloak waltzed into his palace, showing no respect at all to the Lord of the Dead. That ‘Organization’ wished to team up with him in an effort to understand the nature of souls more, or so they said. But Hades knew a shady deal when he heard one. On top of that, they offered to deal with that brat with the Keyblade, but not in any way final. If Sora was to be defeated, Hades wanted to have his soul for himself. What better way to hurt Hercules then to take away one of his friends?

Hades was through having allies. He would use whoever he could to take what he was owed. This figure was just one of the many people the world now held in its grip. Even now, the other gods were locked in combat, desperately fending off a brutal and relentless assault. The first phase in his grand plan was successful.

Still, this person might prove themselves useful.

“Tell you what, you help me with what’s to come next… and we’ll see where things go from there.”

In the middle of their conversation, a shadowy portal opened at the entrance to Hades’ chamber. Two familiar figures strutted out, surveying the doom and gloom of the interior. The one on the left was clad in black robes, with only the green skin of her face and hands visible. The beauty of her visage was eerie in its ethereal quality, as she shone with magical radiance, bathed in the darkness she surrounded herself with. Her rotund companion walked through with confidence that stood out as a far cry from the man who was easily scared. 

“My my… it seems as if you have quickly cast aside your friends.” Maleficent said. Her eyes quickly darted off to the stranger, with a visible sense of contempt written upon her face. “And all for such… miserable and pathetic company.”

“Geez Louise…” Hades said exasperatedly. He began to rub at his forehead as he developed a migraine. “Now I gotta deal with you two? Neither of you did me any favors.”

“Hey now, I seem to recall we helped you get the Underdrome back.” Pete derided. “I’d hardly call that ‘nothing’.”

“You know what? You’re right!” Hades exclaimed. The sarcasm was practically dripping from his voice. “Who cares if Zeus still rules, if his son is still loved by everyone, if I’m still in the Underworld? At least I have a shiny Coliseum!”

Hades sighed as he continued on, pointing to the way out.

“Look, I’m kinda busy here so if you don’t mind… the exit’s thataway! It was great seeing you, but _happy traaails_!!”

“Rest assured, we are not here for you. Even if we were, you have made it abundantly clear you do not wish our help. All I desire to know is if there is a distinctive… black box in this world.”

Hades paused for a moment, thinking. 

“Black box, eh?”

He paced back and forth, repeating the words to see if they held any meaning to him. If it got these nuisances out of his hair faster, the least he could do is point them in the right direction. He may no longer wish to work with Maleficent but he at least still respected her. Not many people were able to do all that she had done with the powers of darkness. And he certainly respected the unquenchable fire that burned within her. She would not stop until she had claimed what she believed was rightfully hers. A tale such as that was certainly one that resonated with the Lord of the Dead.

As he continued walking back and forth, smoke billowing from his every step, he saw his mysterious cohort grow impatient. The rhythmic tapping of their fingers said they did not care for the interruption the beautiful fairy created. 

And that’s when the realization came. There was only one box in all of Greece that could hold such magical power that might draw Maleficent to it.

“Wait… you couldn’t be looking for the one Zeus hid away, could you?”

Maleficent’s eyes beamed at the lead. The prospect of finding what she sought so readily left a sinister smile upon her face. “Possibly… where might I find such an object?”

“Oh I’ll tell you…” Hades began. “But if it’s not the one you seek, I want you to bring it to me.”

“Very well.”

“It rests in Thebes. That’s all I was ever told.”

Without hesitation, the duo departed through another corridor of darkness, leaving Hades alone with the mysterious stranger. Falling back into the throne, he sighed, exhausted from having to deal with more of a headache than ever before. He sunk his face into his palm before gazing through his fingers at the one in the corner.

“Well, at least you’re patient. But mind removing the cloak and giving me your name?”

With a simple flourish of their hand, the cloak disappeared into the aether, and Hades’ jaw dropped as he couldn’t help but behold the person beneath it. The woman beneath was beautiful, as regal and resplendent as the dawn. Her hair shone like silver and flowed like gossamer. She had pulled some of her hair into two large horns, tipped with red at the ends. Intricate violet tattoos etched her face, but it did nothing to mar her beauty. In fact, they matched well with the violet talons on her hands and feet, sharper than any harpy’s. The crimson robe she wore almost seemed to pulsate and one would be forgiven if they thought it was made from blood itself. The neckline of her dress was exposed all the way down to her mid-torso, where it tapered off. And behind her back were two large, black-feathered wings.

The woman bowed. 

“I am Ultimecia.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Hercules dusted off his hands as the last Heartless’ body faded back into the shadows. The beasts had invaded all of Thebes and the surrounding countryside. Soon enough they would swallow Greece itself in their darkness. Hercules had rallied all of the other Olympian heroes he could find to protect the people, but they had their work cut out for them. Particularly as they were now spread so thin.

Even with all they were doing, the Heartless were causing more devastation and destruction than any of them could prevent. Thebes lay in flames and ruin. And it only grew worse with every passing second. 

Still, so long as the people survived this onslaught, everything would turn out okay. Thebes could be rebuilt, better and stronger than ever before. And if Hercules could say one thing about these people, it was how resilient they were. They never lost hope, even in the worst of times. And nothing Hades threw at them would cause them to lose hope now. 

Not in themselves. Not in their friends. And not in Hercules.

Suddenly, a faint noise pierced the air, growing ever louder in intensity. It sounded almost like screaming, as it pierced the roar and crackle of the blazing city. Hercules turned around and saw three dots against the sky, plummeting towards the earth. His eyes squinted, he recognized the three immediately.

“Sora! Donald! Goofy!” he shouted, leaping forward to rescue them. Donald got caught in the maw of a golden lion statue, but Hercules managed to grab hold of the other two and land safely. 

“See? Found him.” Sora joked, hanging over Herc’s shoulder.

“Yeah! Guess this counts!” Goofy said, likewise hanging.

Hercules chuckled before setting down his two friends, then turning to get an angry and wild Donald down. 

“You guys literally dropped in! Gotta say, I’m impressed.”

“Thanks! But, Herc… what’s going on?” Sora said, taking in the destruction of the city. The carnage and debris was horrifying.

His smile from seeing his friends immediately dissipated. A forlorn expression came about in its place. He could only tell his friends about how recently Heartless had been falling all over the city and causing havoc, and how he knew it had something to do with Hades. The soldiers of Thebes were all desperately trying to protect the people, but Hercules knew it was only a matter of time until exhaustion and desperation took its toll.

“Whatever he’s planning, I’ll send him back across the Styx.”

“We actually know something about that.” Sora said, pointing to Mt. Olympus. “Your dad says that they’re all under attack.”

“Damn…” Hercules muttered under his breath. “Hades is taunting me. I can’t just leave the people hear to the Heartless and he knows it.”

“Let us help!” Sora cried out.

“Yeah!” Donald agreed. “But Sora, don’t forget why we’re here!”

“Oh yeah! Herc, I was wondering--”

Hercules then raised his arm to cut Sora off, before their eyes turned back to the sky. In the distance, a swarm of blazing meteors fell upon the city, knocking over a giant-sized statue of Hercules. The impact cracked it into several pieces, and the raging Heartless began to move all across the agora and set it ablaze. Their bodies were shaped similar to urns or vases, with the top coalescing into horns of crystallized flame. Their mouths could detach from the rest of them as they bounced and floated all around.

“We’ll talk later!” Herc shouted. “Right now let’s deal with these guys.”

Hercules then charged forward, grabbing one of the flaming Heartless by its horns to slam it into the ground. Turning, he saw another of the hellish beasts launch a ball of fire directly at his face. Hercules raised his arms in a bid to protect himself, leaving the skin suffering from the burns, but the worst of the damage had been avoided. 

Sora advanced, Keyblade in hand, whacking away at one Flame Core after another as they encircled him. It was a desperate move all in an effort to create some distance, but it wasn’t working nearly as well as he’d hoped. Still exhausted slightly from his previous use of magic, he decided to throw caution to the wind and summon another, smaller burst of water. The Heartless instinctively backed away, their anger flaring in response.

Two Flame Cores cloaked their bodies in flame, until their light became nearly blinding. They viciously and sporadically blasted across the battlefield, as if they were shot from a cannon. A trail of embers was left in their wake, setting the nearby debris ablaze. Crates of supplies were burning with every passing minute. Cloth and tapestries began to disintegrate into ashes. And all around the signs of life that the city had -- from the trees and bushes to the art -- started to die.

All of this made Sora decide to try and end this even faster. The two gyrating Heartless, still darting about the field, were his first priority. He sprinted over to one of them, hovering just out of reach, forcing Sora to leap into the air and swing. His strike hit true, and it flew back in the opposite direction towards Donald. 

The wizard saw an opportunity and held his staff in front of him. A cold wind emanated from the tip and surrounded the demon, trapping it. The magic took the water from the air, freezing it in place, and began to coalesce upon its form. The vortex began to shift and tighten. As its golden eyes took in its doomed fate, fear -- or something akin to it-- was all that could be seen until it could no longer move. All that remained in the air above was a beautiful frozen statue that plummeted to the ground, before shattering into a dozen fragments.

Hercules crouched down and leapt high into the air, and as he began to fall towards the ground again he pulled out his sword. Angling himself just right, he sank his blade deep within the detached head of the other molten Heartless. As the defeated vanished into darkness, the ground beneath everyone trembled and quaked.

As they paused their fighting, even the Heartless looked on in confusion. Suddenly, a great pillar of flame burst from the cracked earth. All eyes turned to the new sight. Sora’s first thoughts were that Hades had joined the fight, but that idea was thankfully proven wrong when the inferno revealed their new foe.

A great beast, hunched over on its legs, bared its fangs down upon them. This new Heartless, wreathed in shadow and flame, had three distinct heads. A goat’s head, or something similar with four horns, stood out in front. Upon standing back on its hooved hind legs, it let loose a guttural roar from its second head: that of a lion whose face jumped forth to snap at one of the Flame Cores. 

It disappeared into its stomach easily. The beast then used its serpentine tail to gather the rest and devour them, leaving it the lone foe to face. It inspired deadly fear in Sora and his friends, towering over them by some ten feet.

The baleful yellow eyes of all three heads glared at them, before it let out another roar in their faces. Spittle flew past Goofy’s shield and clung to his face. Donald was blown away by the intensity, before Hercules grabbed hold of him.

Sora stood his ground, scowling right back at the beast, Keyblade in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Again, I hate writing fight scenes. In my head I can see the sequence but actually writing them is where I feel like a complete idiot. Which is really frustrating because I can clearly do other scenes just fine, based on my Dragon Age fic. So... lemme know what you think. And lemme know what should be improved, tweaked, etc. 
> 
> 2) The Chimera Heartless is the first iteration in new and unique Heartless for this series. One of the things that KH3 disappointed me with was the sheer lack of variety in the Heartless. I can understand reusing the classics, but a lot of the Heartless we face are uninspired. When I fought the Air Soldiers that looked more Grecian and then the Satyrs... I was like "holy shit will there be more unique World Heartless?"
> 
> This was when I still thought we would get dual visits to each world. But Olympus didn't get Assault Riders like Land of Dragons had, or things like Chimeras, Cyclops, Gorgons, Minotaurs, etc.
> 
> So... by and large expect unique Heartless to each world if I can think of them. If anyone wanted to draw some art of them, that'd be amazing. I only have rough ideas of these things in my head.
> 
> 3) Also contemplating writing journal entries at the end of each chapter for certain Heartless that is more... analytical and in-depth rather then KH3's gimmicky style (which infuriated me). If not at the end of each chapter, then in a side work? Comment if you like the idea!
> 
> 4) Yes, I realize it's still largely the same as KH3's version. Basic dialogue kept the same, scenes playing out the same, etc. Olympus was, while not what I had hoped in hindsight, still immensely satisfying for what we did get. So it is going to start to diverge, but it's also going to stay on course like the game had... in my way.
> 
> 5) Also the more I plan things out the more I realize this fic may be less what I hoped to get in a game and more along the lines of "let's just do all the things and tell our own story"-- because it'll be SO MUCH. Or to be more precise... a mix of both.
> 
> 6) Wondering if maybe one of my problems is just that I'm so wrapped up in trying to tell this story in a very Kingdom Hearts way that I'm also losing sight of my own style of writing. In my DAO fic I started, I had just a good visualization of everything (scenes, characters, details, etc.). KH is remarkably sparse in a lot of those nuances, so maybe I should just try and come up with my own?*  
> *May not be historically accurate in regards to Thebes and Greece if I end up doing that.
> 
> 7) I hate writing fight scenes. It bears repeating.


End file.
